TL;DR: In episode three of the Startup Garage Podcast, Julie sat down with one of her favorite entrepreneurs in West Michigan, Nas Younes. Nas is a human rights activist, a nonprofit leader, and the founder of Future Vision for Youth Empowerment, a Grand Rapids–based nonprofit supporting children and families affected by war in his home country of Sudan. The conversation centered on mission - what it looks like to take a God-given vision and steward it well, especially when you're just getting started.
A story that started with running
Nas describes Sudan as a beautiful country that has been torn by war and pain. When war broke out, he ran, at 14 years old, barefoot, more than 100 miles. From there he crossed the Sahara Desert and ended up in a refugee camp in Libya before eventually being brought to the United States.
He arrived without his family, without the language, and without knowing the culture. It was hard. But as Nas put it, he came with a heart full of hope and a soul filled with desire. "I've already seen the bad things in my life," he said, "so I just have to keep my head up and keep doing."
The call he couldn't ignore
After graduating from Grand Valley State University in 2021, Nas realized he hadn't seen his family in over a decade. In January 2022, he went back to Sudan for the first time.
He was overjoyed to be with his family. But he also saw so many kids going through a very hard time, and it took him right back to his own childhood. "I just couldn't ignore that call from God," he said. "I've been blessed to be in the United States. I've been blessed to be in West Michigan. When I go back, I need to do something."
That's how Future Vision was born.
What Future Vision does
In Sudan, Future Vision focuses on three things:
Education - because, as Nas believes, education can stop wars, stop poverty, and most importantly, change lives.
Mental health and trauma recovery - for the many kids and moms who have been traumatized by war.
Emergency aid - feeding vulnerable kids and families in a country facing famine.
Here in West Michigan, Future Vision runs a mentorship program for young refugees who arrive in the U.S. without their families, just like Nas did at 16. His hope for them goes way beyond getting by. "I don't want them to define themselves as refugees only," he said. "I want them to define themselves as human. As leaders." He wants to see them become engineers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders - a positive add to this community.
"I cannot do all of these things without God"
When Julie asked how his faith shapes the way he builds, Nas didn't hesitate. God has been there for him always - even in the middle of the war, he kept praying and asking God to put him in a better place. Today, he still wakes up every morning and asks God to make his day.
He's also quick to say he isn't doing this alone. He credited his board, advisors, volunteers, and donors.
Advice for mission-first founders
Julie asked Nas for one piece of wisdom for early-stage entrepreneurs who want to build with a mission-first mentality. His answer was simple:
"Go for it. Do it. Don't wait. A lot of people wait for the right time to do things, and there's no right time. Today is the right time."
And then: ask people. "No matter how much knowledge you have, there's always somebody that has more knowledge than you." Nas is honest that he isn't perfect and makes mistakes, but having people in his corner who say "Come on, let's do it - I got your back" keeps him moving on the days he doesn't feel like it.
Want to support Nas and Future Vision?
Visit futurevisionyouth.org to learn more, volunteer, or give. You can also connect with Nas on LinkedIn.
Listen to Episode Three
Watch the full episode on YouTube, and if you haven't already, sign up for our Monday newsletter at startupgarage.org to catch every new episode as it drops.
